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Theory of Knowledge
What do you know about this course?
What do the words “Theory” and “Knowledge” mean to us?
Theory of Knowledge is…
a)trying to uncover the means through which we gain knowledge about the world, and examine these paths to “knowing”
b) b) examine basic assumptions we have, and compare and contrast knowledge claims across subject areas,
c) c) understand the nature of knowledge itself (knowledge, certainty, truth, fact, belief, opinion).
Extremes of “knowing”
Prejudice and Certainty• Obvious things must be true;
• We can easily attain certainty;
• TOK isn't important and doesn't apply to 'the
real world';
• I know the truth;
• My standards are better than any other standards;
• My culture is the best in every way;
Extremes of “knowing”
Relativism and Skepticism• Nothing is what is seems to be;
• Certainty is impossible;
• The purpose of TOK is to be able to
be skeptical about everything
• There is no such thing as truth;
• There are no standards by which to judge anything;
• All cultural perspectives are equally valid
A third (and better) way…
The Critical Thinker• Things are not always what they seem to be;
We must examine and analyse;
• Certainty is very difficult to come by in all except
the simplest cases (and even many of those);
• We are all searching for the truth, but it is hard
to say that we know we have found it.
• Many standards are defensible; but many are not.
• I have considered several positions and know and can justify what I believe to be
reasonable and unreasonable.
Nature of the SubjectToK challenges students and their
teachers to reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and areas of knowledge, and to consider the role which knowledge plays in a global society.
Nature of the Subject It encourages students to become
aware of themselves as thinkers, to become aware of the complexity of knowledge, and to recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected world.
Nature of the SubjectTo enquire into different ways of
knowing, and into different kinds of knowledge, the TOK programme is composed almost entirely of questions.
Nature of the Subject
The most central of these questions is ‘How do I know that a given assertion is TRUE, or a given judgement is LOGICAL, or WELL SUPPORTED?’
Nature of the Subject ’ Assertions or judgements of this sort
are termed ‘knowledge CLAIMS’, while the difficulties that arise in addressing these questions are the broad areas known as ‘PROBLEMS of knowledge’.
Nature of the Subject
the questions have been grouped into four broad categories: Knowers and Knowing, Ways of Knowing, Areas of Knowledge and Linking Questions.
Aims “to engage students to THINK ABOUT
and QUESTION the bases of knowledge, so that they:develop an understanding of why critically
examining knowledge claims is importantdevelop a critical capacity to evaluate
beliefs and knowledge claimsmake interdisciplinary connections
Aims
Students shouldbecome aware of personal and ideological and cultural biases
consider that knowledge may place responsibilities on the knower
Aims
Essential is also tounderstand the strengths and
limitations of individual and cultural perspectives
develop a concern for seriousness in formulating knowledge claims, and intellectual honesty.”
Objectives “candidates should be able to:
make connections between and across Ways of Knowing and Areas of Knowledge
make connections between personal experience and different Ways of Knowing and Areas of Knowledge
demonstrate an understanding of knowledge at work in the world
Objectives “candidates should be able to:
identify values underlying judgements and knowledge claims pertinent to local and global issues
demonstrate an understanding that personal views, judgements and beliefs may influence their own knowledge claims and those of others
Objectives “candidates should be able to:
use oral and written language to formulate and communicate ideas clearly.”
Knowers and KnowingNature of KnowingKnowers and Sources of KnowledgeJustification of Knowledge Claims
WAYS OF KNOWINGPerception
Nature of Perception Limitations of Perception
Language Nature of Language Language and Knowledge Functions of Language Language and Culture
WAYS OF KNOWINGReason
Nature of Reason Reason and Knowledge Strengths and Weaknesses of Reason
Emotion Nature of Emotion Emotion and Knowledge
Areas of KnowledgeMathematics
Definition of Mathematics Mathematics and Reality Mathematics and Knowledge Claims Mathematics and Values
Areas of KnowledgeNatural Sciences
Definition of the Natural Sciences Natural Sciences: Methods of Gaining
Knowledge Natural Sciences and Knowledge Claims Natural Sciences and Values Natural Sciences and Technology Natural Sciences: Metaphor and Reality
Areas of KnowledgeHuman Sciences
Definition of the Human Sciences Human Sciences: Methods of Gaining
Knowledge Human Sciences and Knowledge Claims Human Sciences and Values
Areas of KnowledgeHistory
Definition of History History: Methods for Gaining Knowledge History and Knowledge Claims History and Values
Areas of KnowledgeThe Arts
Definition of the Arts The Arts: Methods of Gaining Knowledge The Arts and Knowledge Claims The Arts and Values The Arts and Knowledge Perspectives
Areas of KnowledgeEthics
Definition of Ethics Ethics: Methods of Gaining Knowledge and
Knowledge Claims Ethics and Values Ethics and Technology Ethics and Knowledge Perspectives Ethics and Politics
TOK PointsPoints awarded for: Part 1, The Essay on a Prescribed Title
(40 points) (externally assessed)Part 2, The Presentation (20 points)
(internally assessed) Grades combined to give a total out of 60.
TOK PointsThe band descriptors are:A Work of an excellent standardB Work of a good standardC Work of a satisfactory standardD Work of a mediocre standardE Work of an elementary standard.
TOK and the Extended EssayA candidate who, for example, writes a
satisfactory Extended Essay and whose performance in Theory of Knowledge is judged to be good will be awarded 1 point,
TOK and the Extended Essaywhile a candidate who writes a
mediocre Extended Essay and whose performance in Theory of Knowledge is judged to be excellent will be awarded 2 points.
TOK and the Extended EssayA candidate who fails to submit a TOK
essay, or who fails to make a presentation, will be awarded N for TOK, will score no points, and will not be awarded a Diploma.
Assessment OutlineThe assessment model in Theory of
Knowledge (TOK) comprises two components, both of which should be completed within the 100 hours designated for the course:
Assessment Outline Part 1 The assessment model in Theory of Knowledge
(TOK) comprises two components, both of which should be completed within the 100 hours designated for the course:
Part 1 External Assessment (40 points) Essay on a Prescribed Title ( 1200–1600 words) One essay on a title chosen from a list of ten
titles prescribed by the IBO for each examination session.
Assessment Outline Part 1Part 1 External Assessment (40
points)Essay on a Prescribed Title ( 1200–
1600 words)One essay on a title chosen from a list
of ten titles prescribed by the IBO for each examination session.
Assessment Outline Part 2 Part 2 Internal Assessment (20
points)The Presentation (approximately 10
minutes per candidate)
Assessment Outline Part 2 One presentation to the classOne written self-evaluation report, using
the relevant form from the Vade Mecum, including: a concise description of the presentation answers to the questions provided on the
form.
Part I Essay on a Prescribed Title (1200-1600 words)GeneralEach candidate must submit for
external assessment an essay on any one of the ten titles prescribed by the IBO for each examination session.
Part I Essay on a Prescribed Title (1200-1600 words)GeneralThe titles entail generic questions about
knowledge and are cross-disciplinary in nature.
They may be answered with reference to any part or parts of the TOK programme, to specific disciplines, or with reference to opinions gained about knowledge both inside and outside the classroom.
Part I Essay on a Prescribed Title (1200-1600 words)The titles are not meant to be treated in
the abstract (theory). In all cases claims should be justified and relevant to the student, and where possible, counter claims and original examples should be cited to illustrate the argument.
Part I Essay on a Prescribed Title (1200-1600 words)GeneralThe chosen title must be used exactly
as given; it must not be altered in any way. Candidates who modify the titles may gain very few or no points, since the essays may be deemed irrelevant by the assessors, who mark essays in terms of the title prescribed.
Part I Essay on a Prescribed Title (1200-1600 words)GeneralThe essay must be well-presented, clearly
legible, and where appropriate, include references and a bibliography.
Candidates are expected to acknowledge fully and in detail the work, thoughts or ideas of another person if incorporated in work submitted for assessment,
Part I Essay on a Prescribed Title (1200-1600 words)Acknowledgements and Referencesand to ensure that their own work is
never given to another candidate, either in the form of hard copy or by electronic means, knowing that it might be submitted for assessment as the work of that other candidate.
Part I Essay on a Prescribed Title (1200-1600 words)
The TOK essay is not a research paper but, if specific sources are used, they must be acknowledged in a bibliography. The bibliography should include only those works (such as books, journals, magazines and on-line sources) consulted by the candidate.
Part I Essay on a Prescribed Title (1200-1600 words) Bibliography As appropriate, the bibliography should
specify: author(s), title, date and place of publication the name of the publisher or URL (http:// ….) the date when the web page was accessed,
adhering to one standard method of listing sources
AuthenticityTeachers must ensure that essays are
the candidate’s own work. If there is doubt, authenticity should be checked by a discussion with the candidate about the content of the essay submitted and a scrutiny of one or more of the following:
Authenticity the candidate’s initial proposal and outline the first draft of the essay the candidate’s references and
bibliography for the essay, where appropriate y the style of the writing, which may reveal obvious discrepancies.
Authenticity It should be made clear to candidates
that they ( & their teacher) will be required to sign a written declaration when submitting the essay, to confirm that it is their own work.
Part II The PresentationGeneral
Students must make one or more individual and/or small group oral presentations to the class during the course, and complete a self-evaluation report.
Part II The PresentationGeneral
Topics for oral presentations may be chosen by the student(s) with the teacher’s approval, or may be assigned by the teacher. The presentations may be on any topic relevant to TOK, provided that it has the potential to meet the demands of the assessment criteria. Prescribed Titles, however, should never be used as presentation topics.
Part II The PresentationGeneral
Presentations may take many forms, such as lectures, skits, simulations, games, dramatized readings, interviews or debates.
Part II The PresentationGeneral
The students may use supporting material such as videos, overhead projections, posters, questionnaires, cassettes of songs or interviews, costumes, or props.
Part II The PresentationGeneral
Under no circumstances, however, should the presentation be simply an essay read aloud to the class.
Part II The PresentationGeneral
If a student makes more than one presentation, the teacher should choose the best (or the best group presentation in which the student participated) for the purposes of assessment.
Part II The PresentationGeneral
Although a student may have made the presentation as a member of a group, the teacher must attribute points on an individual basis.
Part II The PresentationGeneral
Students must prepare a written self-evaluation report, using the relevant form from the Vade Mecum, including a concise description of the presentation and brief answers to questions such as:
Part II The PresentationSelf-evaluation
In what ways did the topic address problems of knowledge, such as reaching truth or gaining evidence?
Part II The PresentationSelf-evaluationWhat was the main objective of the
presentation? Explain briefly.
Part II The PresentationSelf-evaluation
What methods were used to present the topic and why were these methods selected? Was the presentation well-organized, thought-provoking and engaging? If a group presentation, what was your personal contribution?
Part II The PresentationGeneral
What were the strong and weak points of the presentation? If you were to do it again, what, if anything, would you do differently to improve it?
Part I Assessment Criteria The Essay on the Prescribed Title is
assessed in the light of six criteria: A Knowledge Issues (0–10) B Quality of Analysis (0–10) C Breadth and Links (0–5) D Structure, Clarity and Logical
Coherence (0–5) E Examples (0–5) F Factual Accuracy and Reliability (0–5).
Part II Assessment CriteriaThe Internal Assessment (Presentation)
is assessed in the light of four criteria:A Knowledge (0-5)B Quality of Analysis (0-5)C Knowledge at Work (0-5)D Clarity (0-5)
Bibliographic NoteThe material in this presentation has
been taken directly from the IB TOK Subject Guide